The leaves of this tea are rather large and winding. After letting them sit in a hot gongfu teapot for a minute they smell heavily of stone fruits, mostly cherry and plum, and ocean air.
The rinsed leaves yield a very, very strong stonefruit smell and a scent of orchids with a hint of eucalyptus. The first infusion is a gorgeous amber color and smells sweet like honey and oats. As it cools, I’m getting more of a fruit and spice scent.
The first infusion is incredibly sweet and fruit-like, just a hint of malt and lingering spice on the back end. The mouthfeel is very clean and the tea leaves a lingering cooling sensation on the tongue and throat.
The second infusion smells more cherry or grape-like. While the body of this tea is somewhat thin and the texture is a bit dry, it makes for a very complex and interesting pairing with the sweet fruity flavors and the cooling almost minty sensation it produces. This infusion tastes like tart cherries with a light wood note. The dryness on the tongue lingers, but there is no dryness in the throat. It still feels very clean. This is not an astringent kind of dryness. It’s more like drinking a dry red wine.
The leaves as they open up are a gorgeous ruddy copper color. The third infusion again smells like stone fruits. The sip starts out sweet and finishes dry, hints of honey and malt accompanying. The mouthfeel is as clean as ever.
By the fourth infusion, in some ways I would say this tea reminds me more of an Indian black tea than a Chinese red tea, though it is almost like a curious mixture of the two. The drying quality reminds me a lot more of Indian tea, as well as the berry-like fruit flavors, but then the sweetness and the mellow honey and malt type flavors remind me more of Chinese red tea. That minty tingle is unlike most red teas I’ve ever had and really makes this one intriguing.
I’m going to end my review here, but if anything really different emerges in later infusions I’ll update. This is a really cool tea and one that I’d recommend for red/black tea lovers. It’s got a really complex balance, a duality of sweet and dry.
I think this tea feels more clean than any other red/black tea I’ve had.
Flavors: Cherry, Eucalyptus, Honey, Malt, Plum, Wood
